Many Facebook Users Are Sharing Less Content

For the most part, Facebook users haven't stopped using the social platform following the Cambridge Analytica revelations. In fact, in its Q1 2018 earnings report, the social media giant showed no sign of users—or advertisers—abandoning its platform.

And according to a recent survey by Thomson Reuters, nearly half of US Facebook users said they haven't changed how much they use it. Interestingly, over a quarter of respondents said they use it more, while fewer report using it less (18%) and only 1% said they deleted their account.

Still, there are some who are concerned about their personal data and how it will be used. When asked why they're sharing less content with friends and followers on social media, 47% of Facebook users said it was because they have privacy concerns.

Indeed, more people are becoming suspicious of sharing data, especially through third parties. In a March 2018 survey by Raymond James, more than eight in 10 US internet users were at least somewhat concerned about how their personal data is being used on Facebook. And a separate study conducted by Gallup in April found that 43% of Facebook users were very concerned about the invasion of privacy.

But Facebook is very much aware of this. In a recent interview with eMarketer, Carolyn Everson, vice president of global marketing at Facebook, said that highly personalized targeting and user privacy can coexist, but it requires the company to do a better job educating users and giving them "full control of how that advertising experience—and the overall experience with their own data—plays out."

Subscribers to eMarketer PRO: Look for a new report, "Facebook Advertising Update 2018," coming later this month.